1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to an information processing apparatus, an information recording system, an information recording method, and a computer-readable medium storing a program, and particularly to a technique for automatically assigning relevant information to data such as image data, video data, or audio data that are stored and managed in an information processing apparatus so that reuse of the stored data may be facilitated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image captured by a digital camera may be stored as an image file in a relatively small-capacity storage medium that is installed in the digital camera. Then, the image file may be forwarded to a personal computer (PC) by a user to be stored in a hard disk, for example.
Image data of such image files may be stored in the same directory in time sequential order, or the user may create directories according to image data contents using image management software and select the storage destination for each set of image data so that image data may be stored in time sequential order in each of the directories.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-341569 discloses storing relevant information such as character data or audio data along with image data in the recording medium of a digital camera, or linking the image data to such relevant information.
Also, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-5953 discloses a technique for generating JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image data by acquiring map information (e.g., location name or name of a nearby facility) that may be acquired from current position information provided by a communication system such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), and inserting the map information data in a predetermined area of Exif (Exchangeable image file format) data.
In recent years and continuing, high-definition digital cameras are installed in portable information terminals such as the mobile phone and the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) so that such digital cameras may be used as note pads for recording information on the spot in various circumstances such as at work.
In the case of recording such work-related information (e.g., image data) in the manner described above, even the user that has recorded the image data may not necessarily remember the contents of the stored image data and the storage destination thereof so that the stored image data may not be accurately accessed, for example.
Also, in the case of searching the storage destination of desired image data, the user may have to check the contents of each image data file one by one so that the procedure may take more time as the number of stored image data files is increased to thereby create a burden on the user.
It is noted that information acquired during work may in some way be associated with PIM (Personal Information Manager) information such as schedule information, work information, or contact information that is stored and managed by an individual.
Accordingly, by associating acquired information with such PIM information, the acquired information may be referenced based on the PIM information so that reuse of the acquired information may be facilitated.